In enterprise systems, workflows are often used by participants of a workflow in performing work. A workflow generally refers to a flow of tasks associated with a business process. Enterprises increasingly rely on computers for performing tasks related to a business process, and thus, for executing the tasks of a workflow. Computers can provide mechanisms for modeling, executing, and/or controlling workflows, typically through a graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI may be related to a particular program or application that acts as an interface for operating on a workflow.
Traditional interfaces to workflows involve unrelated desktop applications. Thus, a participant in a workflow may receive a notification of one or more tasks via an email application or other collaborative software, and then need to launch a Web browser or other application to access an enterprise system that will enable the participant to complete the task(s). The use of multiple, independent applications has at least the defect of being time-consuming. Depending on the applications being used, the use of the multiple, independent applications can result in security and/or access issues. The applications a workflow participant uses for performing work may be inadequately designed for enterprise access control/security typically involved in interacting with enterprise data. Thus, one or more applications that a workflow participant uses with regularity may be less secure and/or less capable of dealing with enterprise business process tasks. Additionally, a workflow participant cannot modify, control, or manage enterprise backend functions from within the context of a single desktop application.